LED Lighting

LED Lighting is an extremely energy efficient form of illumination that is used regularly in both residential and commercial lighting installations. LED is an acronym for Light Emitting Diode; these diodes are small light sources that function like a computer chip. With recent technological developments, LED lighting shines brighter, runs cooler and most importantly illuminate higher quality light than ever before. Below is some terminology that will be helpful while purchasing LED Lighting of any type:

Wattage:

The amount of energy a particular product consumes. it is not a measurement of brightness.

Lumens:

The measurement of light output.

Approximate Incandescent Comparisons:

40 Watts = 440 Lumens

60 Watts = 650 Lumens

75 Watts = 1000 Lumens

100 Watts = 1200 Lumens

Color Temperature:

Color temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin and it indicates the actual color of the light produced. While most manufacturers measure the specific color temperature, some will provide a description of the light such as “cool white” or “warm white”.

2700K = Warm White – the color of a standard incandescent bulb

3000K = Warm White – slightly less yellow in color but still considered warm white

Additionally, research has shown that cooler color temperatures have made reading easier on aging eyes. For this reason, cooler color temperatures are being utilized in more applications than just commercial lighting.

Color Rendering Index (CRI):

Color rendering refers to the measurement of the quality of light as compared to a halogen light source. It is measured on a scale of 1 to 100 with 100 being the light quality of a halogen bulb. Any light source with a CRI above 80 is excellent.